This article offers a comparative reassessment of Mediterranean economies between the 10th and 12th centuries through an archaeological perspective, with particular attention to Italy and the Islamic regions of the central Mediterranean (Egypt, Sicily, and Tunisia). The analysis of chaînes opératoires, exchange networks, and technological innovations in both craft and ag-ricultural sectors makes it possible to assess more accurately the levels of specialisation and economic complexity of the different areas. Archaeological evidence confirms the strong vitality of Islamic economies, especially in terms of their capacity for innovation and the complexity of their internal distribution networks, while showing a later role for central-northern Italy in processes of growth. Engaging with recent historiographical debates, the article argues that medieval economic development was largely driven by regional dynamics and domestic mar-kets, but suggests rethinking the significance of interregional exchanges primarily as vehicles for the circulation of knowledge, techniques, and cultural models.
Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy - ORCID: 0000-0003-2233-5349
Chapter Title
Mediterranean economies compared through archaeology (10th-12th centuries)
Authors
Alessandra Molinari
Language
English
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-1076-8.20
Peer Reviewed
Publication Year
2026
Copyright Information
© 2026 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Book Title
In Search of the High Middle Ages. Change and Continuity in 11th–12th-century Italy
Editors
Alberto Cotza, Giuseppe Petralia
Peer Reviewed
Number of Pages
560
Publication Year
2026
Copyright Information
© 2026 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Publisher Name
Firenze University Press
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-1076-8
ISBN Print
979-12-215-1075-1
eISBN (pdf)
979-12-215-1076-8
eISBN (xml)
979-12-215-1078-2
Series Title
Reti Medievali E-Book
Series ISSN
2704-6362
Series E-ISSN
2704-6079